Juneteenth: A New Federal Holiday Commemorating the End of Slavery

President Biden Signs Bill into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The bill, Public Law 117-17, was signed on June 17, 2021.

A Historical Day

Juneteenth is a holiday observed annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery. It marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people that the Civil War had ended and they were now free.

Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans for generations, and in recent years has gained wider recognition. In 2021, it became the first new federal holiday in nearly four decades, since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.

The signing of the bill into law is seen as a significant milestone in the fight for racial justice and equality.

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